| The Observation Well Network was established in 1961 and was comprised of a number of unused dug and drilled wells in the Lower Fraser Valley and the Okanagan Valley. Today, there are 145 active (as of July 2009) observation wells in the network covering major groundwater areas of the province.
The primary purpose of the Observation Well Network is to collect, analyze and interpret groundwater hydrographs1 and groundwater quality data from various developed aquifers2 in BC. Observation wells are equipped with automatic water level recorders or data loggers that monitor water level fluctuations on a continuous basis.
Some sites are monitored manually with a wetted tape by local observers. Each year about 25 observation wells are sampled for complete inorganic chemical analysis. Criteria for selecting sampling frequency of observation wells are based on physical characteristics of aquifer development, well construction and water quality trends.
Many of the wells are monitored in cooperation with irrigation districts, municipalities and communities utilizing groundwater supplies. Information on the Observation Well Network is available to the public and can be accessed by clicking on any of the bullets at the top of the page, or right here:
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Network Objectives summarizes the goals / objectives for monitoring water levels and water quality.
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The Observation Well Location Maps show the general location of all active and inactive observation wells.
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Current Groundwater Conditions in British Columbia These graphs of Active Observation Wells are generated daily from data in the Observation Well Data Entry (OWDE) application at 2:00 AM each morning. These data can be downloaded from the Groundwater Levels Application (GWL).
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Archived Observation Well Information provides information on each active observation well, such as the long-term hydrograph data and a summary of the hydrograph response. Cumulative Precipitation Departure (CPD) graphs have been presented for select observation wells. Observation well hydrographs are compared to CPD graphs and monthly precipitation totals3 for a given historic period to determine if groundwater recharge is mainly from infiltration of precipitation. This information is complete to 2002 and is not being updated.
1. Hydrograph: a plot of groundwater fluctuation over time.
2. Aquifer: a geologic formation that consists of sufficient saturated permeable material to yield an economical quantity of water to wells and springs.
3. Monthly Precipitation Totals: provided by Climate Services, Environment Canada.
Ministry of Environment;
Government of British Columbia
PO Box 9340
Stn Prov Govt
Victoria B.C.
V8W 9M1
Street Address:
2975 Jutland Rd
Victoria B.C.
V8T 5J9
E-Mail: Groundwater@gov.bc.ca
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